Enjoy the Slideshow

A little bit of summer, a lot of fall...now we are sliding into winter. Today we are expecting 7" of snow. Yipee!!

The Backyard

Just so you know, it's not my backyard!
 

Special Homes

Some people really enjoy their homes.

 

I got a job in my favorite place "The Fire"

It is an interactive art studio, where anyone can come and create. I love it there.

I love this video too.

Check out this video: Tears Of The Saints

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Someone Else's Junk is My Treasure

One of the great things about Wisconsin is people are very thrifty. One of my most embarassing moments was when we replaced our toilet, Mike said to put it in front of the house and someone would want it and it would be gone, after 24 hours I was sure it wasn't going to happen. Then just when I was going to rescue my dignity and hide it behind the house some young kid asked me if he could have it.

Well, people here put EVERYTHING in front of their houses that they don't want, and someone usually wants it. It was my turn the other day, I was driving down one of my favorite streets and there was a Treadmill in front of this house with a "FREE" sign on it, I couldn't get it in the car so my Father-In-Law was kind enough to come help me take it apart and put it in my basement and put it back together. I plugged it in and it works, I guess the other owners were done with walking.

The kids started their second year of school in Wisconsin and they were really happy today, they liked their new teachers and the kids in their classes. They will probably always talk about when they get to move back to California but at least now the conversations do not involve tears.

Here's some Pictures:

Sam and Isabel
The Stratton Men after a long backpacking trip
A funny picture from Uncle Dave


Isabel and her girlfriend started making jewelry and it snowballed into a real business, you can check out her website it is leimarie.info (the girls used their middle names).

Cheers

My favorite moment

Wisconsin Summer Fun

This summer we lost a lot of teeth, we work on a farm each Thursday, we swim a lot, go to parades, festivals, and we talk a lot about the weather.

Jack (our Puggle) has added a whole new slice of life which is the dog park! We go almost 2 times a day, when we do Jack is a happy dog, when we don't we are all miserable.

They have a great Drive-In Movie here out in the farm land called "Field of Scenes", they have miniature golf and a playground and horse and wagon rides before the movie. You can smell the cows while you watch. It was really fun.








Summer in Wisconsin is really like going back in time, Mayberry RFD, you'll see.

My California Memories

My trip in June reminded me that California will always be my home. That is where my family lives and my memories reside up until this point in my life. Mike and I are on a quest to make new memories and so are the kids. Have you ever just gone through the motions in a situation because you don't want to invest too much or really get involved too deep. I've done that for a year, but I can feel that changing, it's time to dive in.

Thanks everyone in CA for making my few days there wonderful, especially Sue for the convertable Volkswagon and Julia for giving me your bedroom for the whole time. Clarks, Carters and Stirlings for Dinner at Sonny's and for my dear Bible Study ladies for meeting at Wahoo's, Elaine for a wonderful day at the Mission, and everyone else that I got to talk with, see with my own eyes, hug or pray with.

Trip to CA

I have a trip planned to CA to visit all my old "places", my prayer is that I will have a miserable time and that I've built these things up so big in my head that reality will be a letdown.

But, I'm really excited! I'm bringing my friend Julie with me. She is a hoot! She is funny and curious and godly and we both need a break after a long winter.

Tundra Lodge and the kids

Ashley, Julie, Cathy, Caitlyn and Nicky

 

Global Warming?

I'm waiting for it to start here in WI. Today is Easter and it is 37 degrees and supposed to snow for the next three days.

Today we had a great Church service at a bar in downtown Appleton, because our place "The Garage" is being remodeled. It was great! I love our small church.

Last weekend Mike and the kids and I went Maple Syrup-ing in a town called Chilton. It was fun to learn all about what it takes to make a gallon of syrup and that is gets to your table without bugs or tree bark in it. Cherish that pure syrup!

It has been Easter break and we have been to Chicago and Ice Skating a few times. WE LOVE CHICAGO! Sam wanted something from the BEARS and Isabel wanted something from the American Girl Doll Store. It's so strange all the years we lived in California Sam loved the Packers and now he has deserted them for the Chicago Bears, we call him the traitor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter sliding into SPRING!

If you are reading this blog you know I love gadgets and things that sparkle. So I've added a new ditty to my blog it is VOXMAIL so after you look at the pictures you can leave me a message on the blog and I can hear your voice it can be public or private. It would be so cool to hear people, please be nice and you definitely can't make fun of my kids or the dog.

If you are looking for a good spiritual message to make you go "ahhh" "ooowww" go to the Capo Beach Calvary website and listen to Barry Taylor from a couple of weeks ago. I think my life has been changed yet again.

http://www.calvarychapel.com/capobeach/messages/
wkend_messages_2007.htm





They don't have mountains in Wisconsin, but they do have piles of snow that work like a mountain.